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State of Play

A Mid-Week Dead Drop Break

Suzanne Kelly

A Mid-Week Dead Drop Break

In the world of national security, it can't all be so serious, so here's a preview of what's waiting for you in this week's Dead Drop:GAME OF THROWS: [...] More

EntertainmentState of PlayCIA

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How the CIA Penetrated Winterfell

David S. Cohen

How the CIA Penetrated Winterfell

Cipher Brief Expert and former CIA Deputy Director David Cohen ditched the Washington law firm suit and tie last week for a robe and a bowl of soup [...] More

EntertainmentState of Play

How Jimmy Hatch Touched the Dragon and Survived

Suzanne Kelly

How Jimmy Hatch Touched the Dragon and Survived

I was introduced to Jimmy Hatch via email in late 2014. I was months away from launching The Cipher Brief and a mutual friend who volunteers his time [...] More

EntertainmentState of PlaySecurity/Stability

Why Intelligence Matters

Michael J. Morell

Why Intelligence Matters

Former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell is debuting season two of his popular podcast ‘Intelligence Matters’ in partnership with CBS News this [...] More

North AmericaState of PlaySecurity/Stability

Book Review: U.S. Spies Triumph in Tragedy against Hitler

Daniel Hoffman

Book Review: U.S. Spies Triumph in Tragedy against Hitler

Wartime has been a force multiplier for espionage ever since the Revolutionary War, when General George Washington was the founding father of the art [...] More

EntertainmentDaniel HoffmanState of Play

Taking a Lesson from Churchill for Today

Michael J. Morell

Taking a Lesson from Churchill for Today

The Cipher Brief's State of Play series encompasses reviews of the books, movies and TV shows that help shape our understanding of the national [...] More

EntertainmentState of Play

Daniel Silva's House of Spies: Old Spies Don’t Die or Fade Away

Michael Sulick

Daniel Silva's House of Spies: Old Spies Don’t Die or Fade Away

As General Douglas MacArthur famously said, "Old soldiers don't die, they just fade away." In the world of fiction, old spies don't die or fade away [...] More

EntertainmentState of Play

Dunkirk: The Larger-than-Life Story on a Larger-than-Life Screen

William Edwards

Dunkirk: The Larger-than-Life Story on a Larger-than-Life Screen

If you don’t know what a Stukka Dive Bomber sounds like, you will never forget its eerie, piercing wail after watching Dunkirk. It is sound, not gory [...] More

EntertainmentState of Play

Is the U.S. Getting Outmaneuvered at Sea?

Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.)

Is the U.S. Getting Outmaneuvered at Sea?

Retired Admiral James Stavridis believes the Trump Administration fails to recognize the importance of our oceans. In his new book Sea Power: The [...] More

EntertainmentState of Play

China: The Greatest Disruptive Force Today

General Michael Hayden

China: The Greatest Disruptive Force Today

Graham Allison's ominously titled Destined for War fulfills an implied promise made by his seminal Atlantic magazine article 18 months ago. That [...] More

EntertainmentState of Play

State of Play Review: Alex Berenson’s The Prisoner

John Sipher

State of Play Review: Alex Berenson’s The Prisoner

In Alex Berenson’s new thriller, The Prisoner, his hero John Wells goes undercover in a European prison to smoke out a CIA mole who is providing [...] More

EntertainmentState of Play

Book Review: "Enhanced Interrogation"

Steve Hirsch

Book Review: "Enhanced Interrogation"

Enhanced Interrogation: Inside the Minds and Motives of the Islamic Terrorists Trying to Destroy America is a firsthand account of the CIA’s [...] More

EntertainmentState of Play

The Interrogation of Saddam: An Opportunity of a Lifetime

John Nixon

The Interrogation of Saddam: An Opportunity of a Lifetime

This week, The Cipher Brief’s Executive Producer and Reporter Leone Lakhani speaks to John Nixon, author of “Debriefing The President: The [...] More

Middle EastState of Play